The last time I saw Nate Smith was such a great show! I wouldn’t dare pass up another opportunity to see one of the best jazzy funk drummers on the planet (or Greta might say “How Dare You!”) And it didn’t disappoint either. Nate Smith once again came correct–with a slightly different line up–doling out what was a splendid funk/jazz tutorial on his kit. Even as a guitar player, it’s hard not to notice the incredible talent of this incredible drummer. Say no more!

Once again, Nate Smith brought a trio to town. However, this time Nate brought back one of our favorite NC resident musicians, Mr. Charlie Hunter. Charlie didn’t just moonlight this time around–he was part of the act. Nice to see him on the Telecaster again, just sitting down, no strap, no effects; jamming out with a slightly over driven clean sound that had a nice bite to it. And of course the infamous Charlie Hunter smile! I know he means no harm, but it does rather look like he might bite into your arm if you get to close…hahahaha. A nice addition to the night for sure.

The thing that I like best about Charlie is his feel. Like Nate, he has a nuanced style that really brings great dynamics into the fold. It’s interesting to watch him play and I noticed something that I hadn’t seen before–the tone swell. He was often swelling in and out his tone control, creating a somewhat muted wah effect to his notes. And the notes that Charlie picks are what make him a great player. He (perhaps unconsciously) has a knack for playing just the right amount of notes–kind of a goldilocks thing. He has a nice subtle attack to everything he plays. It is also nice to see him move back and forth between playing lead and rhythm, comping his own solos to a certain level. He’s the type of cat that can entertain you with just his guitar. Great to see Charlie again.

What really blew me away (besides Nate’s drumming) was his bassist. She was led out on stage by Nate and it turned out that she was totally blind. Say what?! It’s hard enough to play the bass, let alone play the bass really well–or well enough to play with Nate Smith. But playing awesome bass as a blind person? Wow. Super impressed by this young lady, Ms. Ciara Moser. I don’t know how she does it. How does one deal with charts? Even with my eyesight I have trouble when there is too much black ink on the page. I assume she has incredible ears but none of that really mattered because as soon as she started playing you could tell she was a total pro. Nice chops, nice grooves and did some great nuanced solo work in spots. Great job Ciara!

On to the main attraction…what can I say about the fabulous Nate Smith? Besides being one of jazz & funk’s most sought after drummers, he is just a pure technician. Not quite in the same way as someone like Dave Weckl; much more nuanced and not as flashy. Imo, Nate’s real talent comes in three places that are essential for great jazz & funk drumming: meter, subtlety and creativity

For starters his meter is impeccable. Not that you would expect anything less, but this guy stays on the BPM like white on rice–unless of course there is some kind of tempo modulation or ritardando in the chart. And it’s not just the bpm per se; it’s the space he creates in between each “one” that really augments the pocket, expanding it in a spiritual zen type of “Be Here Now” way that is just timeless and infinite. It is funk drumming at its finest and he is THE guy to do it.

However, as you pay more attention you start to see the subtle nuance that very few guys like him possess. He has such a command of his technique, especially notable on the snare and hi-hat. His ghost notes on both are other worldly and when he plays his (what I call) infamous “ghost beats” I am just struck dumbfounded, listening to some of the coolest grooves I’ve ever heard. I always end up looking at the drums from the side at his shows and it puts his incredible talent in full view. This guy makes awesome use of the hi-hat and snare.

The sonic creativity is off the charts. While certainly the funk part is nothing new, the way he approaches drums and rhythms is very organic and fresh; it lifts the beats right off the chart. His kick tone is a warm thump sound, made possible by this furry beater. He has one of those bent in half cymbals that make such a cool clap sound. His snare is so tight and sharp–and take notice of his cell phone dampener! Ha! This made me chuckle. I had to ask my drummer buddy what was going on with that! He puts this all together with such innovative and creative beats that it makes his drums super musical in addition to highly entertaining and booty shaking. Every band wishes they had this drummer.

If I had only one critique of the show, it’s that the set list was a little bland. I was hoping to hear more stuff from his Kinfolk albums (for one thing). I mean, we do many of his joints in my trio so why not pull some of that out with Charlie on guitar? I had high hopes to hear some of this, perhaps more for selfish personal reasons than anything else. As a guitarist in a jazz trio, I always welcome watching other jazz guitar trios, especially when they perform the same tunes. Sad to say though, not much Kinfolk stuff and really not much if anything from the last show that I saw. Oy vey.

They did do some cool stuff however. They opened with a familiar Afrobeat tune I did hear last time–I just can’t recall the name. They played something else and then actually pulled out a track from the first Kinfolk album. I thought we were right on track here. But then they swerved and did some different joints. Surprisingly, they pulled out a very slow gypsy jazz version of Nardis. Since my group does do this one from time to time it was nice to hear another trio do a different version. After that, they segued into something else I didn’t recognize. Not uncommon at these shows!

But then into George Benson’s Breezin’!? That was interesting for sure. They followed up with a pretty sweet cover of David Sanborn’s Ramblin’. This was my favorite track of the night, very well played. Charlie went into an acapella guitar thing for a while after that and ended up segueing into a pretty alright blues thing. I was again surprised to hear Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (a very, very old Zawinul composition); I’ve done different versions of this over the years, so again kind of cool, but then again a little stale they way they did it. They went into one more jam and then finished up with a pretty awesome drum solo from the man, the myth, the legend: Nate Smith.

I would give the show a B+. Nate as always is incredible. The blind bassist is just something else altogether and hats off to her for all the hard work she must have done to get into the position of being able to play with Nate. Charlie Hunter is always great. My only rub is that I don’t like him as much as a pure guitar player. Perhaps too many years of hearing him play such cool compositions on his hybrid bass/guitar thing, I don’t know. He has some tasty chops for sure and is always very innovative and creative with his playing and use of the guitar. It’s just that he leaves me wanting a little more, especially sitting as the guitarist for Nate Smith. But hey, the show was still excellent and I would probably go to see Nate Smith solo–he’s that good.

If you haven’t seen Mr. Nate Smith, make a note to go when he comes to your town. It’s well worth it, even if you are not a drummer. You will walk away a little funkier!